Elihtt spencer



@uiten faire datent @fitta IMPROVEMENT 'IN-INDICATORS FOR RAILVVAY-SfIAIIONS.

@its .tlgehule referat tu iu tigen Enters zztent mit mating pint nf its smite;

TO ALL WHOM'IT MAY CONCERN;

-Be it'kn'own that I, ELIIIU SPECER, of Ottawa, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain newl and useful Improvements iii-StationfIndicators for Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following isv a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part 'of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur;

To enable others skilled in th'e art to construct and use my invent-ion, I will proceed to describe it;

My invention consists in` a novel arrangement-of devices for indicating the various stations on a lineA of railway, and for imparting other information to passengers, as hereinafter explained.

Figure 1 is a front elevation; and i Figure'2ris an end view, with the case removed to exhibit the -internal arrangement.

All who have travelled on railways'know the importance and convenience ofbeing -able to know the names of the various stations, and how imp crfectly such information is imparted, if at all, by the present plan of having the names announced by an attendant. It is to obviatc the objections to the p resent plan, and provide a simple and eiicient means of indicating the stations, that my invention is`intended.

l To accomplish this, I constructs. case or box, A, and mount therein a at-sided cylinder, E, having six, more or less, faces, as represented in fig. 2. On one end. of this cylinder I secure a ratchet-wheel or disk, d,

having a series of notches in -its periphery equal in number to the angles or faces of the cylinder, a spring,'l,

being arranged to enga-ge in these notches, and hold the wheel in the desired position, as shown in iig. 2. I then take a series of plates of sheet metal or other suitable material, of-rectangular form, and of a size corresponding with one ofthe faces of the cylinder, and which should be of suiiicient size to have the name of astation plainly painted or printed `thereon, and unite them, by hngingthem together at their edges, so as to form them into a continuous chain or series of plates, as lrepresented by C, of fig, 2. On each of these plates are printed or painted, in regular succession, the-names of the various stations along the route ,that the cars are intended to travel, and the series of plates, thus arranged, is placed over the cylinder E, as represented in iig. 2.

Byturning the cylinder, these plates C, with the names -thereon, will be brought successively in front of the opening B, cut in the front' ot the case A, `where it will be held by the spring l, engaging inthe notches in the disk d, as described. Y I

A partition,f, is located in the centre of the case A, at the bottom, with a space on each side thereof, of

lsniicient width to permit the .hinged plates to fold over uponeach other, as shown in tig. 2. It' desired, to

prevent the chain of plates from slipping on the cylinder, a series of pins, ,'may bevinserted-in the angles of the cylinder, and arranged to-e'ngage in holes or'notches in the edges of the plates.

The cylinder may be'conneeted, by any suitable gearing, with the axle of the car, and be operated thereby,

the names of the stations being arranged on the chain at distances'apart corresponding with the distances between stations, if desired; but a simpler and more efficient plan is to have the' brakesmanor other attendant operate the cylinder, by turning it in each car, immediately after passinga station, the index thus informing the occupants of the ear, in advance, what the name of the next station is. I

For the purpose of informing the passengers when and where'they are to change cars, or to take other rcutes,.I' secure, upon the front'of theecase A, clips a, for the purpose of receiving and holding cards, on which are contained the requisite instructions, as represented byD, of fig. 1. The number of these, cards, and the directions on them, will correspond, of course, with the changes to be made on the route.

The apparatus is exceedingly simple, cheap, and eiicient. It will occupy but very little space, and, by itsl use, all annoyance and confusion, at the points ofchanging routes or cars, may be avoided, and the passengers at all times fully informed of the names of the various stations alongthe route. It' operated by hand, it may be desirable to have it operated by a key, inserted through the case, said key to be kept by the proper attendant,-

so as to prevent the indicator from being tamperedwith or improperly set'by mischievous persons.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, isd. I A case, A, having the cylinder E mounted therein, with the disk d and spring I, arranged to hold it in position, and having the series of plates, with the names of stations thereon, hinged together, and arranged to wind over saidcylinder to and fro, and fold up in tbe lower part of the case, substantially as shown and described.

' v ELIHU SPENCER.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. ORME, Guo. Har 

